Where Was Annie Filmed?

The Short Answer

Annie (1982) was mainly filmed at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, where the orphanage exteriors and street scenes were shot on a specially built backlot set. Warbucks' mansion scenes were filmed at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. Additional shooting took place in New York City, including Radio City Music Hall, and at other New Jersey locations.

The 1982 film adaptation of the Broadway musical tells a Depression-era New York story, but very little of it was actually shot in New York. Principal photography ran from April 29 to September 4, 1981, with the bulk of the work split between a California studio backlot and locations in New Jersey.

The most famous set, the Hudson Street Home for Girls, never existed as a real building. It was constructed on the Warner Bros. lot, and six weeks of filming took place at Monmouth College, now Monmouth University, which served as Oliver Warbucks' mansion.Visitors can still reach several of these places today.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
Hennesy Street, Warner Bros. Studios	Burbank	Orphanage exteriors and street scenes including Hudson Street Home for Girls	Ticketed
Radio City Music Hall	New York	Scene where Warbucks takes Annie to see a movie	Ticketed
NX Bridge over Passaic River	East Newark	Climactic bridge rescue scene	Outside only

Filming Locations Map

3 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

The Hudson Street Home for Girls orphanage exteriors and the surrounding street scenes were built here for the film, including a $1 million outdoor street set constructed for the Easy Street number. The orphanage facade was modeled on real New York buildings on Mott Street and 630 East 6th Street. Today Hennesy Street remains a working backlot set that visitors can see on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. The street was renamed in honor of production designer Dale Hennesy, who died during filming.

This landmark venue appears in the scene where Warbucks takes Annie to see a movie. It remains an active entertainment venue in Midtown Manhattan, hosting concerts, shows, and the famous Christmas Spectacular. Tickets for performances can be booked in advance, and the building's Art Deco interiors are on view when attending an event. It sits steps from other Midtown attractions, making it an easy add-on to any New York itinerary centered on film locations.

The climactic bridge rescue scene, in which Punjab and the Asp swoop in to save Annie from Rooster and Lily, was filmed on this abandoned railroad bridge spanning the Passaic River. The structure still stands today, though it is private property and not open to the public. The practical option is to view it from nearby streets or the riverbanks on the East Newark side. Photography from a distance is the realistic approach for most visitors.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

The story is set in New York City during the Great Depression in 1933, but the filming geography tells a different story. Production took place primarily in New Jersey, including Monmouth University, East Newark, Hope, and Blairstown, along with extensive work at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Only some scenes used actual New York City locations, most notably Radio City Music Hall. The orphanage itself was a studio creation inspired by real Lower East Side architecture.

The Studio Side

Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, is the key studio site for Annie. The production built its orphanage and street sets on the backlot, and the street was renamed Hennesy Street after production designer Dale Hennesy died during filming. The studio is visitable today through the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, which passes through the Hennessy Street and Tenement Street backlot areas where Annie was shot.

Tours That Visit These Locations

Two listed tours cover the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, which includes a stop at the Hennessy Street and Tenement Street backlot where Annie's orphanage exteriors were filmed. Both hold a 4.6 rating from thousands of reviews between them.

Backlot Studio Tour

Los Angeles: Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood

This Los Angeles tour of the Warner Bros. lot passes the Hennessy Street backlot where the Hudson Street Home for Girls was built, with a 4.6 rating across 8,721 reviews.

4.6 out of 5 · 8,721 reviewsLos Angeles

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

Los Angeles Studio Tour

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood

An alternative booking for the same Warner Bros. studio experience, covering the Hennessy Street and Tenement Street backlot, rated 4.6 from 5,668 reviews.

4.6 out of 5 · 5,668 reviewsLos Angeles

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Annie actually filmed in New York?

Only partly. A few scenes used real New York locations such as Radio City Music Hall, but most of the film was shot at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, and at locations across New Jersey.

Where was the orphanage in Annie located?

The Hudson Street Home for Girls was not a real building. Its exteriors were constructed on the Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank, based on real buildings on Mott Street and 630 East 6th Street in New York.

Can you visit the Annie orphanage set?

Yes, in a sense. The backlot street, now called Hennesy Street, still stands at Warner Bros. Studios and can be seen on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood.

Where was Warbucks' mansion filmed?

At Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey, then known as Monmouth College. Six weeks of filming took place on the campus.

Is the bridge from the rescue scene open to visitors?

No. The NX Bridge over the Passaic River in East Newark, New Jersey, is an abandoned railroad bridge on private property. It can only be viewed from nearby streets or the riverbanks.

Why is the backlot street called Hennesy Street?

It was renamed in honor of production designer Dale Hennesy, who died during the filming of Annie.

For most travelers, the single most rewarding stop is the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Los Angeles, which puts you on the actual backlot street where Annie lived out her Depression-era story. New York and New Jersey locations round out the itinerary for completists, with Radio City Music Hall the easiest to combine with other sightseeing.